TY - JOUR
T1 - Early palliative care associated with lower costs for adults with advanced cancer
T2 - evidence from Hungary
AU - Zemplényi, Antal Tamás
AU - Csikós, Ágnes
AU - Fadgyas-Freyler, Petra
AU - Csanádi, Marcell
AU - Kaló, Zoltán
AU - Pozsgai, Éva
AU - Rutten-van Mölken, Maureen
AU - Pitter, János György
N1 - Funding Information:
This study has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 634288
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. European Journal of Cancer Care published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2021/6/9
Y1 - 2021/6/9
N2 - Objective: Palliative Care Consult Service (PCCS) programme was established in Hungary to provide palliative care to hospitalised patients with complex needs and to coordinate integrated care across providers. The aim of this study was to measure the association of PCCS with healthcare costs from payer's perspective. Methods: Study population consisted of patients with metastatic cancer, who were admitted to the Clinical Centre of the University of Pécs between 2014 and 2016. Patients who did not die within 180 days from enrolment were excluded. Patients receiving services from PCCS team (intervention patients) were compared to patients receiving usual care (controls). The two populations were matched using propensity scores. Data were obtained from electronic medical records linked to claims data. Results: For patients who were involved in PCCS at least 60 days before their death, the costs of care outside the acute hospital were higher. However, this was offset by savings in hospital costs so that the total healthcare cost was significantly reduced (p = 0.034). The proportion of patients who died in the hospital was lower in the PCCS group compared to the usual care group (66% vs. 85%, p = 0.022). Conclusion: Timely initiation of palliative care for hospitalised patients is associated with cost savings for the healthcare system.
AB - Objective: Palliative Care Consult Service (PCCS) programme was established in Hungary to provide palliative care to hospitalised patients with complex needs and to coordinate integrated care across providers. The aim of this study was to measure the association of PCCS with healthcare costs from payer's perspective. Methods: Study population consisted of patients with metastatic cancer, who were admitted to the Clinical Centre of the University of Pécs between 2014 and 2016. Patients who did not die within 180 days from enrolment were excluded. Patients receiving services from PCCS team (intervention patients) were compared to patients receiving usual care (controls). The two populations were matched using propensity scores. Data were obtained from electronic medical records linked to claims data. Results: For patients who were involved in PCCS at least 60 days before their death, the costs of care outside the acute hospital were higher. However, this was offset by savings in hospital costs so that the total healthcare cost was significantly reduced (p = 0.034). The proportion of patients who died in the hospital was lower in the PCCS group compared to the usual care group (66% vs. 85%, p = 0.022). Conclusion: Timely initiation of palliative care for hospitalised patients is associated with cost savings for the healthcare system.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107598014&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/ecc.13473
DO - 10.1111/ecc.13473
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85107598014
VL - 30
JO - European Journal of Cancer Care
JF - European Journal of Cancer Care
SN - 0961-5423
IS - 6
M1 - e13473
ER -
